I met Jean’s gaze as she joined us after several minutes of trying to look like she wasn’t hurrying… While hurrying to stop this dumpster fire. “She is a liability, Jean. She is too selfish to be of help or use. She doesn’tcarethat we have an understanding orfragilealliance. She wants to tear me down to get revenge—”
“Yes, I’m aware,” Jean said with a tight smile. “Which is why you were to be anywhere else, Mother.”
“I’m not a child,” Mother snapped.
No, Rebecca. This woman wasn’t my mother any more than Charles was my father. They were monsters.
“Then stop acting as petulant as one,” Jean bit out.
“If I was anyone else, our understanding would be done,” I told Jean. “And I would be valid.”
“Yes, you would. What do you want?” The annoyance was in her eyes… And exhaustion.
“Nothing,” I told her, nodding when she raised an eyebrow. “I let it go on to make a point. She can’t even do this for you. It’s always about her and—”
“Iwas his victim too,” Rebecca snapped. “Why does everyone—”
“No,no, you donotget to use that withme, Rebecca,” I cut in, my voice louder than I liked. I took a threatening step towards her. “Not me. You whine and throw that bullshit around to anyone else, but you were just as much the fucking villain as Charles was in my life. YouknewAlex hurt me and threatened to mate me to someone who would do the same. Charles didn’t—”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she argued. “Always so sensitive and—”
“No, you don’t gaslight me. The maidstaunted meabout it! I have recordings where theytaunted mein my room, walking in when I was naked and laughing at bruises that you knew about and said it was my future. That you would mate me to someone abusive and I would deserve it!”
I felt better when even Jean looked at me in horror, Clare beyond upset.
“I would like the names please,” Jean said. “That’s beyond—those aren’t people to trust.”
I nodded, trying to get myself back under control and met her gaze. “I don’t want anything except that Rebecca Shaw not traumatize any more of her daughters. She focused on me and Clare—you were her princess. She doesn’t have us anymore. You will take it all because she is vile.”
Jean gave a small, tired wave. “I know. I know, Bevin. I agree, and thank you both for pushing this.” She shot Rebecca a furious gaze. “She made it clear that if Ibanishedher when she’s finally free of the monster too that she would misbehave worse than I could imagine. Especially with the guards, and I couldn’t handle having a bastard sibling right now.”
I blinked at her for several long moments before bursting out laughing. I tried to talk but then laughed all over again before smirking at Rebecca… Who had steam coming out of her ears.
Rebecca ranted for a few minutes that she was the victim and we were being unfair, completely ungrateful for all she’d done. Jean bit out for her to shut up when she saw I could talk and that eyebrow went back up.
“She’s infertile,” I told Jean, pointing to Rebecca so there was no doubt who I was talking about.
“What?” Jean hissed, Clare echoing her.
I nodded, a huge smile on my face. “There is apricepaid when you decide to sacrifice a child. The gods won’t let you have any more.”
“No, it…” Jean trailed off and blinked at me this time.
“It’s why she hates me so much, Jean,” I promised. “BecauseCharleswouldn’t believe it or that he became infertile as well. So, when they thought I didn’t have magic and couldn’t be sacrificed, the broodmare was needed again.” I pointed to Rebecca once more. “And every time the pregnancy test was negative, Charles would be worse to her.
“He would tear into her that she was useless and couldn’t even do the one job she had. The onepurposefor her and she couldn’t perform. I heard him threaten to kick her out when I was ten unless she conceived. They saw healers who confirmed it. But he wouldn’t listen and so he kept the schedule, and she had to service him like a mare to—”
I saw the slap coming and didn’t react, long since used to Rebecca slapping me. Things were different now, but some part of me would always be the abused child in front of her.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist and I was pushed behind someone.
Someone with the same gorgeous chocolate brown hair Kelton had, but much longer and down to her mid-back.
Rita.
I couldn’t hide my shock that she was there as she shoved Rebecca away from me.
“You will never touch this child again,” Rita bit out. “You are adisgraceof a mother, and I’m glad the gods would punish you to never have more children. That is just when—”
